Wichita eagle., 1887-08-25
RAMBLEs ABOUT EUROPE.
From England to Egypt Especially for
the Eagle.
NO. XVIII.

NO. XVIII.
FLORENCE, Italy Aug. 8, 1871 have
sat down with the Intention of writing this
letter at least half dozen times. but the
attractions of society, the languor produced
by excessively hot weather and the fatigue
of travel and sight seeing have been fatal
to my good Intentions At last, realizing
the evils of procrastination, l have braced
myself for final attempt, determined to
reach conclusion. 1 fail to do justice to
the most interesting part of my rambles
since leaving home
The route from Brussels led US through
Eastern Belgium where the landscape, for
the most part, was a continuation of the
checker board style Of agricultural views,
the exceptions being where we struck one
of the great canal basins of this region
where mining and manufactures are push
ed with great vigor, and on a stupendous
scale, carrying one back to scenes of a sim
liar character in Pennsylvania, and else
where in our dear land. An accident oc-
CURED, as the train halted in driving rain
storm at the first town on our entrance into
Germany, which caused no little mirth to
the occupants Of our compartment, being
the enforcement of the revenue laws upon
four ''innocents" engaged In the absorbing
game of whist. A revenue officer entered
the car, seized the cards and carried them
of, In the course Of time he returned
them stamped, and, demanded twenty.
eight cents. AS the cards only cost orig
inally twenty five cents, 1t would have
been economy to have abandoned them to
their fate. The owner, however, would
have paid twice that amount, rather
than have the amusement of the party cut
short in such Mephistophelian manner,
and whacked up. This trifling incident of
travel is merely given as contrast to what
occurred later on when we arrived at Co
logne, and where our personal effects were
subject to the lynx eyes of The custom
house officials. Each man and woman
stood by their baggage arranged on long
table, key In hand ready to expose their IN
washed linen, when an 'insult" from our
courier, placed where it would do the most
good, relieved all anxiety and permitted us
to mount the coaches that would set us
down at the grand cathedral for which
Cologne is celebrated, and afterwards take
us to our hotel. The exterior aspect of this
architectural feat is grand be-
yond description. l might enter
into detail and fill letter that would con-
tain nothing else but praise of the finest,
pnrely gothic structure In the world, but
with the mercury at that point. the
starch bids good byeto ones collar, may
be pardoned for any omissions, and in
brief simply state that. the spires on the
'wo elegant towers are each 500 feet high
md the bnilding itself is fully 500 feet in |
ength, with stained windows of enormous
7alue, and, of course, the orthodox designs. |
t was commenced In 1913 and only re-
'eived the finishing touches In 1880. The
text morning before breakfast we all
epaired to the church of St. ursula,
where the unfortunate princess of that
ame, together within eleven thousand vir.
ins, yielded up their sweet lives as will
Ing sacrifice on the altar of re-
siOn. Their bones are contained in
ne museum of the church arrayed on
helves, and there also are the bones and
zulls of many saints, about whose names
ulster sacredness only enhanced by these
elics snatched from the decay of centuries
asst, and exhibited to dupe and skeptic
ike-for the same consideration. We were
Town two thorns, youched for as being
ken from the crown that was thrust upon E
lie Saviour's brow. A piece of the vest
re worn by Him at the crucifxion, and
II which the soldiers cast lots, and one of r
e water pots used at the marriage feast &
Cana forms part of the unique collec '
IN. Wonderful must be the faith and an
'lling the credulity and superstition of 1;
e masses of the old world who accent
csc relics as genuine, but what must one
ink of an educated priesthood who per
'tuate the fraud from year to year. Of r
urse one would like to believe the asser- ;,
ms SO boldly made by the monk r
charge, but the evidence is
t conclusive, and the glazing u
posture really has tendency to weak d
ones reverence for other things sacred.
Cologne is the sixth city in Germany in c.
int of population, and judging from the b
livity in building operations has not yet
iched its zenith. The old portion of the SC
y is about as Anticipated as American ri
velty seekers could desire and the forty cl
nks Of Cologne are by no manner of ii
ans foul SANDER on the fair city. OF
united up to seventeen different kinds of OF
or that assailed my olfactories in brief
TX through the odor part of the city ST
logne water is sold more as souvenir N
IN an article of the toilet. The shops of 81
logne are good and I want to say right b,
-e before forget 1t that the recreation III
led shopping is the most de
htful occupation we met with
really think the ladies of our =,
-ty prefer ii to the hours spent In gor. -
,us picture galleries and gloomy old r
lrches. The pleasure of spending 9,
ney mot the faculty alone is an attri
-e of some natures that Is not paralleled
sny other desire The Cook Marty nos u